{{short description|American soccer player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = David Loera | image = | full_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|9|10}} | birth_place = Zaragoza, Spain<ref>{{cite web |title=David Loera profile |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/david-loera |website=www.mlssoccer.com}}</ref> | height = {{height|ft=5|in=5}} | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = 2012–2017 | youthclubs1 = Orlando City | collegeyears1 = 2017–2019 | college1 = NC State Wolfpack | collegecaps1 = 57 | collegegoals1 = 9 | years1 = 2016–2017 | clubs1 = Orlando City B | caps1 = 7 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2018 | clubs2 = SIMA Águilas | caps2 = 4 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2019 | clubs3 = North Carolina U23 | caps3 = 0 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2020–2021 | clubs4 = Orlando City | caps4 = 3 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2021 | clubs5 = → Phoenix Rising (loan) | caps5 = 11 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2022–2023 | clubs6 = San Antonio FC | caps6 = 17 | goals6 = 2 | years7 = 2024 | clubs7 = Lexington SC | caps7 = 3 | goals7 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2016 | nationalteam1 = United States U19 | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | medaltemplates = | club-update = November 21, 2024 | nationalteam-update = February 4, 2016 }}
'''David Loera''' (born September 10, 1998) is a professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder. Born in Spain, he has represented the United States at youth level.
==Club career==
===Early career=== As a youth, Loera played with the Orlando City Development Academy team.<ref name="ussoccerda">{{cite web|url=http://ocsc.ussoccerda.com/sam/teams/index.php?team=1401313&player=28712531|website=ocsc.ussoccerda.com|title=Orlando City SC|accessdate=August 18, 2017|archive-date=August 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818173817/http://ocsc.ussoccerda.com/sam/teams/index.php?team=1401313&player=28712531|url-status=dead}}</ref> In July 2016, Loera made his Orlando City B debut in USL, coming on as a 54th-minute substitute against Louisville City, the first player to appear for Orlando's USL affiliate while still in the academy.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rollins |first1=Sean |title=From Orlando to Raleigh, David Loera Continues to Shine |url=https://www.themaneland.com/2017/10/13/16463644/from-orlando-to-raleigh-david-loera-continues-to-shine |website=The Mane Land |language=en |date=October 13, 2017 |access-date=November 22, 2019 |archive-date=January 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112202543/https://www.themaneland.com/2017/10/13/16463644/from-orlando-to-raleigh-david-loera-continues-to-shine |url-status=dead }}</ref> He made seven appearances for the team between 2016 and 2017.
===College career=== In February 2017, Loera signed a letter of intent to play college soccer at North Carolina State University.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandocitysc.com/post/2017/02/01/37-orlando-city-youth-soccer-players-sign-national-letters-intent|title=37 Orlando City Youth Soccer Players Sign National Letters of Intent|website=Orlando City Soccer Club|accessdate=August 18, 2017}}</ref> In three seasons at NC State, Loera started in all 57 of his appearances for the Wolfpack, scoring nine goals and adding 15 assists.<ref>{{cite web |title=David Loera – 2019 – Men's Soccer |url=https://gopack.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/david-loera/8808 |website=NC State University Athletics |language=en}}</ref> Ahead of his final season, he was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List and reached No. 13 on Top Drawer Soccer's Men's National Top-100 list, the highest ranked player in the Atlantic Coast Conference.<ref name="homegrown">{{cite web |title=Orlando City SC Signs Top Prospect, David Loera, to MLS Homegrown Contract |url=https://www.orlandocitysc.com/post/2019/12/09/orlando-city-sc-signs-top-prospect-david-loera-mls-homegrown-contract |website=www.orlandocitysc.com}}</ref>
===Orlando City=== Ahead of the 2020 season, Loera returned to Orlando City, signing a multi-year Homegrown contract with the club.<ref name="homegrown"/> He made his professional debut on 3 October 2020 as a stoppage time substitute in a 3–1 win over New York Red Bulls.<ref>{{cite web |title=Orlando City SC 3, New York Red Bulls 1 2020 MLS Match Recap |url=https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2020-10-03-orlando-city-sc-vs-new-york-red-bulls/recap |website=mlssoccer.com}}</ref>
On September 9, 2021, Loera joined Phoenix Rising of the USL Championship on loan for the rest of the season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Orlando City SC Loans David Loera to Phoenix Rising FC |url=https://www.orlandocitysc.com/news/orlando-city-sc-loans-david-loera-to-phoenix-rising-fc |website=www.orlandocitysc.com}}</ref> Loera had his contract option declined by Orlando City at the end of the 2021 season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Orlando City Exercises Contract Options on 11 Players Following 2021 MLS Season |url=https://www.orlandocitysc.com/news/orlando-city-exercises-contract-options-on-11-players-following-2021-mls-season |website=Orlando City SC}}</ref>
===San Antonio FC=== On January 11, 2022, Loera signed with USL Championship club San Antonio FC.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1202615|title=San Antonio Announces Arrival of David Loera|date=January 11, 2022}}</ref>
===Lexington SC=== Loera joined USL League One club Lexington SC on January 26, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bramley |first1=J. |title=Lexington Sporting Club adds midfielder David Loera |url=https://www.lexsporting.com/news/lexington-sporting-club-adds-midfielder-david-loera/ |website=LexSporting.com |publisher=Lexington SC |access-date=26 January 2024}}</ref> He was released by Lexington following their 2024 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lexsporting.com/news/lexington-sporting-club-announces-2025-roster-updates-for-usl-championship-team/|title=Lexington Sporting Club Announces 2025 Roster Updates for USL Championship Team}}</ref>
==International career== In 2016, Loera was called up to the United States U19 squad by head coach Brad Friedel for the Copa de Atlantico tournament.<ref>{{cite web |title=ACADEMY: Six players called into U-19 USYNT |url=https://www.fcdallas.com/post/2016/01/25/academy-six-players-called-u-19-us-national-team-united-states-unmnt-u19 |website=www.fcdallas.com}}</ref> He played in all three games as the United States lost 1–0 to Spain U19, 5–0 to France U19, and 1–0 to the Canary Islands.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. U-19 MNT falls to Spain 1-0 in Copa del Atlantico |url=https://www.soccerwire.com/news/u-s-u-19-mnt-falls-to-spain-1-0-in-copa-del-atlantico/ |website=SoccerWire}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. U-19 MNT falls to Canary Islands in Copa del Atlantico |url=https://www.soccerwire.com/news/u-s-u-19-mnt-falls-to-canary-islands-in-copa-del-atlantico/ |website=SoccerWire}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. U-19s overwhelmed by France in Copa de Atlantico |url=https://sbisoccer.com/2016/02/u-s-u-19s-overwhelmed-by-france-in-copa-de-atlantico |website=SBI Soccer |date=February 4, 2016}}</ref>
== Career statistics ==
=== Club === {{Updated|November 8, 2021}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://us.soccerway.com/players/david--loera/451465/|title=USA – D. Loera|website=Soccerway|access-date=August 12, 2021}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" |Club ! rowspan="2" |Season ! colspan="3" |League ! colspan="2" |Cup ! colspan="2" |Continental ! colspan="2" |Playoffs ! colspan="2" |Total |- !Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals |- | rowspan="3" |Orlando City B |2016 | rowspan="2" |USL |2||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||2||0 |- |2017 |5||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||5||0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !7!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!7!!0 |- | rowspan="3" |Orlando City |2020 | rowspan="2" |MLS |2||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||0||0||2||0 |- |2021 |1||0|| colspan="2" |—||1{{efn|Appearances in Leagues Cup}}||0||0||0||2||0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !3!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!0!!0!!4!!0 |- |Phoenix Rising (loan) |2021 |USL Championship |11||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||11||0 |- ! colspan="3" |Career total !21!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!0!!0!!22!!0 |}
{{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{USL player|david-loera}} * {{sports links}} * [https://www.ussoccer.com/players/2014/03/15/05/00/david-loera#tab-1 U.S. Soccer bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818180713/https://www.ussoccer.com/players/2014/03/15/05/00/david-loera#tab-1 |date=August 18, 2017 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loera, David}} Category:1998 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Zaragoza Category:American men's soccer players Category:United States men's youth international soccer players Category:Spanish men's footballers Category:Spanish emigrants to the United States Category:Orlando City SC players Category:Orlando City B players Category:Phoenix Rising FC players Category:Homegrown Players (MLS) Category:NC State Wolfpack men's soccer players Category:SIMA Águilas players Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Soccer players from Orlando, Florida Category:USL Championship players Category:USL League Two players Category:Major League Soccer players Category:North Carolina FC U23 players Category:San Antonio FC players Category:Lexington SC players Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:21st-century Spanish sportsmen